Bottle-washing machine.



No. k70|,I29. Patented May 27, |902, H. L. BELKNAP.

BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE.

(Application led May 11I 19D0.\

(N0 MGSL) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

'nu lIl ulul Unirriep @autres 'PATENT OFFICE.

HIRAM LEVIS BELKNAP, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE CREAM- ERYPACKAGE MANUFACTURING CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A

BOTTLE-WASHING MACHINE.

SFEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. `701 ,129, dated May27, 1902.

Application filed May ll, 1900.

To tl/ wiz/0m zit' may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM LEWIS BELKNAP, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bottle-IVzishingApparatus, (Case No. 1,) ot' which the followingis a full, clear,concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdraw- |o ings, forming a part of this specification.

` My invention relates to machinery for washing bottles and likereceptacles. Its object is to provide a simple, inexpensive, andpractical machine by which bottles can be rapidly, easily, andthoroughly washed or cleaned in a very short space of time.

To the attainment off the foregoing and other desired' ends my inventionconsists in matters hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective view of a machineembodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same. Fig.3 is a horizontal section taken on the plane indicated by the line 3 3in Fig. 2. Figs. 4 to 8, inclusive, are views of details ofconstruction.

The bottle-washer illustrated in the drawings comprises a suitable tankA, having a vertical partition a dividing it into two horizontalcompartments 1 and 2, which I shall call the washing and"1"insing77tanks, respectively. Resting upon the back of the tank behind theleft-hand compartment 1 is a rotary turbine B, which may be of anysuitable or preferred construction. The axle or shaft b of this turbineB is provided with a brush or sponge 3, which of course is rotated at avery rapid speed by the operation of the turbine. The turbine isprovided with a steam-pipe 4, which extends upwardly from its lower end.The right-hand compartment 2 of the tank is provided with ahorizontallyextending water-pipe 5, having three series of spouts ornozzles 6 6 extending upwardly from it. This water-pipe 5 is understoodto be connected with a suitable source of Watersupply. Arranged upon thewalls forming the rinsing-tank 2 is a spraying-rack C, having a seriesof openings or holes 7 7, adapted to receive bottles or receptacles tobe cleansed.

Serial No. 16,317. (No model.)

The holes 7 7, it-will be understood, are positioned above the variousnozzles (S 6, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The water-pipe 5 is provided with suitable meansfor opening and closingit to allow water to emerge from the nozzles 6 G. As a simplearrangement I have shown a foot-lever S pivotally connected to thebottom'y of the tank and having a rod 9, which extends upwardly, so asto operate a valve 10, situated in the 6o pipe 5, just outside of thetank. This arrangement is such that a depression ot the `forward end ofthe lever opens the valve 10. A spring 11 is employed for maintainingthe valve in a normally closed condition.

Pipes 12 and 13 are arranged at the 4rear of the tanks land 2,respectively, and extend upwardly from nearly the bottoms of such tanks.Theyare then united and connected to a pipe 14, which extends upwardlyto and 7o is connected with the steam-pipe 4. The pipe V14, is alsoconnected with the Water-pipe 5 by a horizont-al pipe 15. By thisarrangement either or both of the tanks 1 and `2 can be supplied Witheither steam or cold Water or any mixture of these two. 'To permit this,the pipe 12 is provided with a valve 16, the pipe 13 with a valve 17,the pipe 14C with a valve 18, and the pipe 15 with a valve 19. To supplythe tank 1 with steam, the valves 80 16 and 18 are open, and to supplythe tank 2 with steam the valves 17 and 1S are opened. To supply eitherone or both of these tanks with cold water, the valve 19 and either oneor both of the valves 1G and 17 are opened. 85 To supply either or bothof them with a mixture of steam and water or water heated'to someextent'by steam, either or both of the valves 16 and 17 are opened andthe valves 1S and 19 are opened to an extent sufficient to 90 secure thedesired mixture.

Inoperating my invention the WashingvtankV 1 is lled with warm Water,and thebotties or other articles are dipped or plunged by hand into thisWater and then moved so as to force the sponge or brush into them,sothat be washed, the apertures 7 7 in this rack are ico desirably of suchsize and shape as to receive the necks of bottles, inwhich case the bodyportions of the same extend above the rack.

When the rack has been Iilled, the foot-lever 8 is then operated so asto allow water to be sprayed through the nozzles 6 6 into the bottles orother receptacles. When this has been done a suiicient length of time tothoroughly rinse the bottles, the rack C is removed to allow the bottlesto dry. It is preferably placed in a sterilizer, so that the bottleswill dry in an antiseptic condition. Another rack is then placed uponthe tank and the operation proceeded with as before.

Water in the two tanks can be properly changed and its temperatureproperly regulated by means of the steam and water pipes and connectionsheretofore referred to and explained.

Each tank is provided with an overiiowi20 to prevent water from flowingover the sides of the tank. Each tank is also provided with an open orlattice work partition 2l to prevent the bottles from coming intocontact with the ends of the pipes 12 and 13 and the overiiows 20 20.

Asamatter of further and specificimprovement the shaft b of the turbineB is constructed as shown in Figs. 7 and S. In this construction theshaft is made with its outer end in tubular form., so as to receive thewooden handle on the brush or sponge 3, and is provided withindentations or depressed portions 22 22, which act as knives to cutgrooves in the Wooden. handle when the same is inserted in the shaft. Inthis way the handle, and therefore the brush, is held securely againstbecoming loose relatively to the shaft. As a matter of still furtherspecific improvement the nozzles 66 are constructed as shown in Fig. 6.In this case they are made of soft or Babbitt metal and provided withbores or outlets, which taper toward their outer ends.

-As a matter of further improvement also the ends of the supply-pipes 12and 13 are provided with mufflers, and these are desirably constructedas shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In this arrangement a nozzle 23 is located ata point forward of ythe end of the pipe, and apertures 24 24 arearranged in the pipe in the rear of the end of the nozzle. In this waythe inrushing steam draws the liquid in the tank in through theapertures 24 24, and this incoming liquid prevents gurgling or othernoises on the part of the steam. As a simple construction the end of thepipe is provided with a collar 25, and the nozzle is screwed into thiscollar, and then an end piece 26, containing the apertures 24 24, isscrewed into the collar 25 to hold the nozzle in place.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my invention provides a simple,practical, and efficient apparatus for quickly washing bottles and thelike and that it also contains novel and advantageous features ofconstruction.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. A bottle-washing apparatus,consisting of a tank having a partition dividing it into washing andrinsing compartments, a waterpipe arranged horizontally in the rear ofthe rinsing-compartment below the top thereof and provided withupwardly-directed nozzles, and a rack arranged to rest upon the top ofthe side walls of this rinsing-compartment and provided with aperturescorresponding to the nozzles of the said water-pipe, substantially asdescribed and for the purpose set forth.

2. A bottle-washing apparatus consisting of a tank having a verticalpartition dividing it into washing and rinsing compartments, a

water-pipe extending into the rinsing-comn partment and arrangedhorizontally in the same below the top thereof, the said pipe havingupwardlydirected nozzles, a rack arranged to rest upon the tops of theside walls of the rinsing compartment and provided with aperturescorresponding with said nozzles, supply-pipes 12 and 13 extending to thewashing and rinsing compartments respectively, connections between thesteam and water pipes and the supply-pipes 12 and 13, whereby eithersteam or water or both may be supplied at will to either or both of thecompartments of the tank, a valve in the water-pipe outside of therinsing-compartment, a valve-lever 10 for operating said valve, a linkfor operating the valve-lever, a spring tending to hold the valve-leverin such posi, tion as to normally close the valve, and a footlever foroperating the link, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the tank, and a water-pipe therein havingupwardly-directed nozzles, of a valve in said water-pipe, a lever foroperating said valve, a spring tending to hold said lever normally inposition to maintain the valve closed, a link 9 extending downwardlyfrom the valve-lever, and a foot-lever 8 pivoted to the bottom of thetank and having its rear end connected with the link 9 and its forwardend provided with a pedal for the foot', substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 9th day of May, A.D. 1900.

H. LEWIS BELKNAP.

Witnesses:

A. MILLER BELFIELD, HARVEY L. HANsoN.

